The Cricket's Daughter
by Nathan Lane-Beatles Luvr
Summary: Jiminy Cricket, after his transformation, met a faerie and fell in love. They had a daughter. When Oak, Jiminy's love, dies, he leaves his young daughter out of grief and duty to Geppetto. She is heartbroken, but then the curse hits. Her name? Tinker Bell
1. Prologue

**I DO NOT OWN "ONCE UPON A TIME" OR ANY OF THE CHARACTERS MENTIONED IN THIS STORY. I OWN NOTHING EXCEPT AN IMMENSE LOVE FOR ARCHIE HOPPER. THAT'S IT. **

_Fairy Tale World_

"Daddy, wait! Please wait!" The young girl cried out, breaking free from the woman dressed in green's hold.

To anyone who didn't understand her language, her desperate pleas for her father to stay would sound like the tinkling of bells. It frustrated her sometimes that no one other than those familiar with the faerie language could understand her but she got by all right. Most of the people she interacted with could understand and speak it, so it didn't worry her too much. It made conversing with humans difficult though.

"No, Tink. Go back to Flora, Fauna, and Merryweather," her father's quiet voice stopped her in her tracks. She didn't understand; didn't her father love her anymore? Mum got sick and died, and she knew he was sad, but did that mean that he didn't love her anymore?

"Please, Daddy," Tinker Bell begged. "Please, don't leave me. I need you! We just lost Mum, and she made us promise that we would stay together no matter what! You promised, Daddy!"

It wasn't a very good argument, she knew, but she was only eight years old; what did he expect?

"I know I did. But I...I can't stay here. I can't stay with you."

"Don't you love me anymore, Daddy?" she asked, tears pouring from her sky blue eyes. Her father turned sharply and glided toward her. He grabbed her shoulders and said, "Don't ever think that I don't love you, Tink. I do, and I always will. But...honey, it's too hard...I love you, but I can't stay...I'm sorry. You'll understand one day."

He let her go and flew away. "Daddy! DON'T GO! Please! DADDY, YOU PROMISED! YOU PROMISED HER! YOU PROMISED...you promised me."

But her father could no longer hear her. Tinker Bell flew back into Fauna's arms and collapsed into tears. Tinker Bell might have been young, but one thing she knew for certain was that her father, her papa, her Daddy, Jiminy Cricket would never be the same in her eyes. She knew, from that day on, that no matter how much she tried, she would never stop resenting him for leaving her.

Little did she know, leaving her was the hardest thing Jiminy ever had to do. It broke his heart to hear her cry like that and his conscience was beating the crap out of him at the moment, but he...it was just too damn hard. She looked so much like her...like his lost love, Oak Elfwitch. She had her light hair, her beautiful blue eyes, and almost every aspect of her personality. Jiminy adored his daughter, but he couldn't raise her without Oak. For about the millionth time, he cursed the Powers that Be for taking her from him and his young daughter.

He didn't want to leave Tinker Bell, but he couldn't stay, seeing her looking so much like Oak was killing him slowly, and the Blue Fairy had contacted him and told him that it was time for him to make good on his promise of taking care of Geppetto. He had told Oak what he had to do and she said that she would explain the situation to their daughter.

But then she was taken, and he had to leave. He left it up to Flora, Fauna, and Merryweather to take care of Tinker Bell. Although he knew that his baby girl would end up resenting him, he thought that her thinking that he left because of grief was better than her knowing that he left for not only that reason, but also because he had to look out for another child...a human child, no less.

As Jiminy flew away from his heartbroken daughter, his own heart shattered into a million pieces and tears fell from his eyes too.

He only hoped that one day, Tink would understand.


	2. Chapter 1: Storybrooke

**I DON'T OWN "ONCE UPON A TIME" OR ANY CHARACTERS PORTRAYED HERE. I DO NOT OWN THE CHARACTER OF TINKER BELL OR ANY OTHER YOU MAY RECOGNIZE FROM ANYWHERE ELSE. I SWEAR. I AM MERELY A FAN.**

_Storybrooke_

Tessie Black had just driven into Storybrooke, Maine. She snorted at the name. _Seriously, Regina? Storybrooke? Couldn't come up with a better, less obvious name for your prison?_

Tessie was one of the lucky ones when it came to the Curse. She had been in Neverland at the moment the Curse took effect, so she had been fortunate enough to avoid it. She remembered everything and she knew who she really was. However, she had been forced into this world...this realm where she was human-size, magic-less and still sarcastic and cynical.

Tinker Bell. That was who she really was. The daughter of Oak Elfwitch and Jiminy Cricket. His name still brought pangs of hurt and anger into her heart. Did she understand why her father left her? Yes.

Was she any less angry about it? No. It pissed her off that he left her to look after that Geppetto boy. She didn't hold anything against Geppetto or Pinocchio; they needed someone to show them right from wrong, and who better than Jiminy Cricket, right? It had been incredibly easy to get the truth out of Fauna; she always was the nicest, softest of the three. After she learned the truth when she was 16, she left Regina's kingdom and flew all the way to the second star to the right: to Neverland.

Now, she wondered if Geppetto and Pinocchio knew that their ever so conscientious insect friend had abandoned his child after his dying wife made him swear that he would stay with her. She had needed him and he left her. He left Tessie with Flora, Fauna, and Merryweather.

She had heard tell of her father's "adventures" with Geppetto and, more famously, Pinocchio. She herself had had plenty of adventures when she left Regina's kingdom and went to Neverland. There she met Peter Pan and the Lost Boys. She met the mermaids and the bumbling Mr. Smee, right hand - or hook, rather - man to the vengeful Captain James Hook.

James hadn't always been bad. He'd actually been an all-right dude...before that red-headed menace cut off his hand and fed it to the crocodile that later became known as Tick Tock. That was when he lost it. Tessie didn't blame him. She would've flipped too. In fact, she did. She ripped Peter a new one for that.

Being a faerie, she was incapable of feeling more than one emotion at a time. That annoyed her to no end; she didn't like going all hell-bitch on anyone, unless they deserved it. Sure, she had been jealous of Wendy, but come on, everything turned out all right in the end!

That was one up-side of being a human in this realm. Her emotional range had increased tenfold. When she had been transported to this realm, she had been thoroughly confused, but learned quickly enough that she now spoke English, she was a human, and that she needed a new identity if she wanted to avoid the nice men in the white coats. Oddly enough, she found an I.D. in her pocket. _Tessie Black_. Simple, common last name, nothing too outlandish.

As she parked her '67 Chevy Impala (her baby), the 23 year old faerie-turned-human (for some odd reason, she aged very slowly. She didn't know why. It was sort of a Leap Year effect. For every four years, she aged only one. She had been 16 when the Curse hit, so it made sense) looked around at the quaint, quiet town. It seemed funny to her that Regina went to all the trouble of enacting the Curse, only to be undermined by something as silly as Tessie's location.

She chuckled to herself as she got out of the car. She straightened her lime green shirt and leather jacket but tensed when she felt someone watching her. She turned around and groaned.

Rumplestiltskin. Of course, he would be the first one that she met in Storybrooke. She smirked to herself though; the creepy imp was powerless. Or at least, magic-less.

"Hello, there," he said, walking, or rather limping somewhat over to her. He leaned on his cane and looked at her. Tessie raised an eyebrow and ran a hand through her pixie-cut blonde hair impatiently.

"Look," she hissed, "I know exactly who you are. You may be a human now, but I could spot you in a crowd of a million. Rumplestiltskin."

He smirked. "I wondered when you'd make an appearance, Tink. It was only a matter of time."

Tessie rolled her eyes and said, "I go by Tessie. Tessie Black. I'm here for two reasons and two reasons only. To bring down the Queen and protect my father."

"Jiminy. He's goes by Archie Hopper here. Fitting, isn't it? And I go by Gold. Mr. Gold, but you can dispense with the formalities." Rumplestiltskin told her, nodding. In the Fairy Tale World, her world, Tessie had known Rumplestiltskin rather well. Or better than most people, anyway. She had no aversion to the deal-making elf, except that he creeped her out a bit. His mysterious nature and annoying habit of speaking in riddles frustrated her, but he was powerful and a formidable foe. She had made it a point to be at least acquaintances with him.

"I guess. You wanna tell me where I can find him? Or do I have to make a deal?"

He chuckled and said, "No deals, dearie. But come, I should fill you in on the...particulars of your father's story..."

Tessie grew suspicious at once. "Why are you being so helpful? And no deals? No favors, nothing?"

"I was a father once, too. If I had the chance to see my Bae again...well, let's just say, the thing I want the most right now, other than Regina's destruction...is to see you reunited with your daddy."

"Yeah. Well, thank you...I think."

He nodded curtly and we walked to his shop.

"A pawnshop? How...well, how _you_."

He laughed again; his mirth a shadow of his giggle that once intrigued as many people as it disturbed. They went inside and Gold sat her down.

"So...the first thing you need to know is that Regina is the Mayor of this...town. She's still the same power-mad manipulator she's always been. Hasn't changed. She does, however, have a son. Henry. She adopted him from an 18 year old girl. Emma Swan. Emma is Snow White and Charming's daughter. She arrived in Storybrooke not long before you. I'd say about two or three days."

"That's wonderful. Where can I find my father?"

"Patience is a virtue, dearie. Henry knows the truth. He has a book of fairy tales...seems he's started to connect the dots. If you want to bring down Regina, he's your best shot. Stick with him."

Tessie nodded and Gold continued, "As for your father...Archie Hopper. He's the town therapist. He's quite close with Henry; he's the boy's therapist. It may interest you to know that he knows he has a daughter. Your story is still the same: Mummy dies and Daddy leaves. However, here he never promised anything to The Blue Fairy Do you understand?"

"Yes."

"If I may ask...why are you interested in reconnecting with your father?"

Tessie looked at him like he had sprouted eleven heads and a tail. "He's my father. I may resent him for what he did, but I still love him. And I'll be damned if I let him be vulnerable to Regina a second longer. It took me forever to find this town. I searched for years to find my father. I'm not going down without a fight."

"Fair enough. I'll ask no more of your reasons. Here's where you can find Archie." He wrote an address on a piece of paper and gave it to Tessie. She inclined her head in thanks and was about to set off on her search, but stopped and turned back to Gold.

"You understand, of course, that while I understand your influence and power even here, that I am not afraid of you? And that I don't trust you?"

"I wouldn't have it any other way, dearie."

Tessie nodded and left with a small smile towards Gold. Gold smiled mysteriously to himself; it would be nice to have an ally of sorts who actually remembered her origins. Of course, he didn't need an ally: he was the only person that had more power than Regina in this town. Still, back home, Tinker Bell had never made herself an enemy. Gold was glad, not that he showed it, that Tessie and Archie would be reunited. He was…_very _invested in the townsfolk's lives and he knew that Archie missed his daughter terribly.

She wandered for awhile until - _there! _She finally found the building. She went in and knocked on the door labeled with her father's name. _Dr. Archie Hopper_. It had a nice ring to it, Tessie decided.

A man about her height opened the door and looked at her confused. He had blue eyes and round, reddish glasses. He was quite bookish-looking, but it suited him. He was wearing a sweater vest, of all things, and his reddish-brown hair was sticking up a little. There was no doubt that this was her father.

"Hi, Dad."


	3. Chapter 2: The Truth and Neverland

**I DON'T OWN "ONCE UPON A TIME" OR ANY CHARACTERS PORTRAYED HERE. I DO NOT OWN THE CHARACTER OF TINKER BELL OR ANY OTHER YOU MAY RECOGNIZE FROM ANYWHERE ELSE. I SWEAR. I AM MERELY A FAN.**

_Fairy Tale World_

"I want the truth, Fauna!" Tinker Bell demanded. She wasn't angry, just frustrated that she couldn't know the truth as to why her father left her when she was eight years old. He had been grieving, she knew, but there was more. That wasn't the only reason.

"Don't raise your voice to her!" Merryweather shouted. She and Tinker Bell always butted heads. Merry was aggressive and stubborn and Tinker Bell was twice as much so. Tinker Bell was practically red with frustration and snapped.

"Put a cork in it, Bluebird!" Tink snapped at Merry. She looked highly offended and said, "Why you little -! It's time to teach you to respect your elders!"

Merry looked about ready to charge and Tink opened her arms wide and said, "BRING IT!"

"WILL YOU BOTH STOP?" Flora intervened and shouted at them. They both managed to calm down; Flora was in charge. Tink breathed deeply and said, "Merry, Fauna; I'm sorry. I deserve to know the truth and you keeping it from me isn't fair. I need to know why my dad left. Please!"

The three faerie sisters looked at each other and nodded almost imperceptibly. "All right, Tink," Flora said. "We'll tell you the truth."

So about an hour later, Tink finally knew the truth. She knew that her father left, not only because of grief, but because he had a promise to fulfill to The Blue Fairy regarding a boy named Geppetto. She had resented her father for seven years and now she found out that she did so because of a stupid promise that he made two years before she was born. Jiminy, apparently, had been searching for Geppetto ever since he made that promise but couldn't find him. He must have been a slippery child, Tink concluded.

She understood; she didn't like it, but she understood. Her father had a strict moral code. He never could go back on a promise. But still, he made a promise to Tink and her dying mother. Shouldn't have that promise come first? Shouldn't family have come first?

"Your father loves you very much, Tink. He didn't want to leave, but you know Jiminy. He had a job to do. And your mother had just died. You look just like her, you know. That was part of the reason why he left. It hurt too much to be around you. But if he could have, he would have stayed with you. Sometimes we see him when we go into town…he asks about you every time. He nearly fainted when we told him that your sixteenth birthday just passed."

In spite of herself, Tink found herself laughing at the image her mind formed. She loved her father dearly, but was still hurt by what he did. Now she understood the reason he did so, but she didn't like it any more than she did an hour ago.

She nodded and said, "Thank you for telling me. Listen, I've been thinking. It's time for me to leave and find my own way."

Fauna objected the second she finished her sentence but Flora and Merryweather shushed her. "I'm sixteen years old. I can't stay here forever."

"But what about Aurora's christening? You know Stefan and Leah would love to see you."

Tink smiled bitterly. "Give them my regards, won't you? I love you guys, but it's time for me to just…just go and live my life without the threat of Regina hanging over me."

It took a little more convincing from Tink to make Flora, Fauna, and Merryweather let her go, but in the end, they did. Tink, Flora, and Fauna exchanged rather sad goodbyes, and when Tink got to Merryweather, she stuck out her hand. Tink and Merry really never got along, but she figured, now at the end of it, she may as well be polite. What she didn't expect was Merry to ignore her outstretched hand and hug her tightly.

"I'll miss you, Tinker Bell. It was nice having someone who stood up to me," Merry told her. Tink smiled and hugged Merry back.

"I'm glad I could fulfill that role, Merry."

"Where are you planning on going?" Flora asked Tink. Tink grinned and said, "Neverland. That's where I'm headed."

"Tink…I wish you the best of luck. And please, please be careful!" Fauna told her. Tink nodded and said, "I will. Don't worry. And seriously, give Stefan, Leah, and baby Aurora my best, won't you?"

"You know we will," the three answered in unison. With a final smile, Tink flew off into the sky. She rested in a tree until night and then flew on to the second star to the right.

As she flew nearer and nearer to the star, she noticed the Blue Star. She wondered if her dad was looking at that star right now. She also wondered what he would say when he found out that his daughter left the Kingdom and went to Neverland. Would he miss knowing that she wasn't too far away if he wanted to go and see her? Or would he be relieved? She shook her head and ripped her gaze away from the Blue Star and sped up into the Neverland Star.

About five minutes later, the fifteen year old faerie arrived in the sunny paradise known as Neverland. She blinked quickly to get used to the sudden bright sunlight. When her vision cleared, she gasped. It was gorgeous. The waters were a bright, clear blue; the island jungle was a lush green and the clouds looked at puffy as cotton. She looked down and found herself looking at the most beautifully colored rainbow she'd ever seen. Not that she'd seen many rainbows, mind you.

She flew down out of the baby blue sky and looked around some more. She saw a pirate ship with the name _Jolly Roger _on the side. It was quite a majestic looking ship, but what caught her attention more were the two figures having a sword duel.

One of them was young, probably not much older than her. In fact, Tink observed, as she got closer, he looked to be about twelve years old. Of course, he was much bigger than her as he was a human. He had bright red hair that flopped into his eyes. He was dressed entirely in green. He even had a green cap on his head that came to a point and had a red feather on top. He had an impish smile on his face that reminded her of Rumplestiltskin and he was laughing, something that was clearly agitating his opponent.

Tink settled herself on part of the mast of the ship and watched the exciting duel. Her eyes drifted from the younger swordsman to the older man. He had long, curly black hair and was dressed in red. He was rather handsome, too. He was clearly a pirate, and judging by his hat, Tink guessed he was the Captain of the ship. Even from her distance, Tink could tell that his eyes were a bright, alluring blue.

"Give up, yet, you old codfish?" the boy in green asked, laughing. He swung at the man with his sword but was quickly rebuffed by the other.

"Never, Pan!" The older man shouted. His voice had an interesting lilt to it. _It certainly befits a pirate_, thought Tink. She was content to watch their duel for awhile longer until Pan started getting cocky and distracted. The pirate missed him by inches at one point and Tink felt her heart jump into her mouth when that happened.

She didn't know this boy, but she certainly didn't want to see him get hurt. The pirate came ever closer to ending the young boy's life and when he actually cut his arm with his sword, Tink knew she had to act.

She knew exactly what she would do. When she was younger, she used to use her faerie dust to make small animals fly. It would irritate Flora, Fauna, and Merryweather to no end, because Tink used make the animals zoom past the windows of their house constantly. The largest animal she had ever dusted was a baby fawn, but how hard would a human be?

Tink shrugged and zoomed down to where Pan was. She hovered above his head and threw a large amount of faerie dust at him. The boy sneezed once the golden, sparkly dust hit him but laughed when he found himself flying. He quickly got his mid-air footing and zoomed away from the pirate. The boy stopped and looked at her.

"Thanks, my faerie friend! That old codfish will never get me now! Ha-ha!" he thanked her, still laughing.

"You're welcome. From now on, all you'll need to do is think happy thoughts to start flying. Keep thinking happy thoughts and you'll never fall out of the air. Be careful, though." Tink started to fly away but Pan called her back.

"Hey, what's your name?"

"Tinker Bell. What's yours?"

"Pan, Peter Pan. Nice to meet ya, Tinker Bell!"

"Nice to meet you, too, Peter." Peter smiled and said, "Well, I'd better finish my fight before Hook down there screams himself blue." He hooked a thumb down below them and Tink looked down to see a very red-faced Hook screaming at her and Peter.

Tink sniggered as Peter flew down to finish his fight with Hook. They went back and forth for awhile and then Peter pulled off a spectacular move that had horrific results. Peter sort of cart wheeled in the air and sliced off Hook's right hand. Tink tried to look away but was frozen with horror. His blood wasn't the color you'd expect at all, given he was a human. Instead of being red, his blood was a purplish-black. Hook screamed at the sight and nearly fainted. _Hmm, he must be afraid of blood, _Tink thought. Hook's hand flew through the air, knocked an alarm clock off a box and both hand and clock landed in the water of the ocean where not thirty seconds later, both were gobbled up by a crocodile.

The crocodile sort of grinned at Hook, seemingly having liked the taste of his hand. He tried to jump up and eat the rest of the Pirate Captain, but Hook jumped out of the way. A short, stout man ran up to Hook and helped him into a chair. Hook was clearly very jostled by the event that had just taken place. The shorter man was wearing a blue and white striped shirt and a red cap on his head. He had a white beard and apparently, his name was Mr. Smee.

Peter fled from the scene, flying away as quickly as he possibly could. "Peter! Peter!" Tink flew after him, not happy at all that Peter just used the gift she gave him, in an indirect way, to maim another person. That was despicable.

"PETER!" she thundered, zooming after him so fast that she passed him, had to brake in mid-air, and hover directly in front of him. She folded her arms and raised her eyebrow at him.

"Oh, come on, Tinker Bell; stop looking at me that way. I didn't mean to cut his hand off! But I'm glad that I did!"

"You're _glad_? You're glad that you just maimed someone?"

"If it were anyone else, I wouldn't be happy! But it's Hook! James Hook! We've been enemies for ages! And you have no idea how many times he's tried to kill me!"

However, this didn't matter to Tink; hot-headed though she might be, she was furious that this – this boy had just injured someone and didn't even care! She kept berating Peter until he finally said, "Stop! Just stop already! I'm not sorry that I beat Hook in this duel…however; I didn't mean to hurt him! I never meant to cut off his hand, and I certainly never meant to send a crocodile after him, but I did, and there's nothing that can be done now. So just let it go and move on, okay?"

Peter was almost begging her by the time he finished speaking. Tink surveyed him through narrowed eyes and folded her arms. Peter's bright blue eyes had that puppy dog look to them and he clearly thought that he was going to get her way. She was about to tell him to shove it, but then she stopped and thought.

_I'm going to need a friend here and Peter seems friendly enough. Why scare off the one person that you know here?_

"All right, Peter. I'll drop it, BUT," Tink added, as Peter whooped with glee. "BUT, promise me that you'll never hurt someone like that again. You wanna punch Hook, fine. Kick him, fine. But NO MAIMING. Are we understood?"

Peter nodded excitedly and said, "Yes, we're understood! Now come on, I want you to meet the Lost Boys! You're gonna live with us…if you wanna, that is."

Tink thought about it for a moment and then said, "All right. I'll live with you and the Lost Boys, Peter. Merlin knows that I need someone to show me the ropes here."

Peter nodded happily and said, "You're gonna love it here!"

They both flew off to what Peter later told her was their secret hideout from Hook. Clearly, Peter hadn't been bluffing when he said that Hook had tried to kill him before. Now, looking at the Lost Boys and Peter, she didn't feel so bad for Captain Hook. She was _sympathetic_ with the man because he lost his hand, but ten to one, he'd heal and replace it somehow.

But more important than that…Tink, for the first time in seven years, had a real family. She loved Flora, Fauna, and Merryweather, but they weren't the same as this! This had warmth and trust radiating off it. This was what she wanted all along. Unfortunately, she knew trouble was brewing back in Regina's kingdom. Sooner or later, Regina would find a way to make them all suffer for whatever Snow White did to her. Tink only hoped that it wasn't anything too harmful.


	4. Chapter 3: Reuniting with Archie

**I DON'T OWN "ONCE UPON A TIME" OR ANY CHARACTERS PORTRAYED HERE. I DO NOT OWN THE CHARACTER OF TINKER BELL OR ANY OTHER YOU MAY RECOGNIZE FROM ANYWHERE ELSE. I SWEAR. I AM MERELY A FAN.**

_Storybrooke_

_**Previously:**_

_**A man about her height opened the door and looked at her confused. He had blue eyes and round, reddish glasses. He was quite bookish-looking, but it suited him. He was wearing a sweater vest, of all things, and his reddish-brown hair was sticking up a little. There was no doubt that this was her father. **_

"_**Hi, Dad."**_

**AN: This chapter will pick up at the end of episode one and the next Storybrooke chapter will start with episode two. **

Archie looked at Tessie, his eyes growing wider with every passing second. "T-Tessie? Is that really you?"

Tessie smiled and said, "Yeah…it's really me…Dad." Tessie felt not all, but a lot of her resentment melt away when she looked at her father and the hopefulness and happiness displayed on his face.

"_Tessie_! My Tessie. I can't believe you're here! Come in, please!" Archie stepped aside, grinning and let her into his office. She walked in and looked at her father's office. It was warm and inviting, unlike what Tessie imagined many therapist's offices would feel like. It was perfect for her father.

She turned around to face Archie, who was watching her intently. His smile faded away slowly as doubt clouded his features. "Are you _really_ my daughter? Or is this some kind of joke?"

Tessie looked him directly in the eyes and said, "Dad, look at me. I _am _Tessie. You know I am. How can I prove it to you?"

Archie cocked his head to the side and his eyes bore into hers. For a moment, it looked like he was going to deny that she was telling the truth, but then his grin came back and he said, "That was all the proof I needed."

Tessie was confused and it must have showed on her face because Archie elaborated by saying, "Your eyes. You have your mother's eyes. I'd know them anywhere." Tessie smiled and walked back over to her father. Archie placed his hands on her shoulders gingerly, as though unsure if she would run or move away if he did so. When she did neither, and surprised him by gently placing her hand over one of his, Archie said, "I've missed you so much. And I'm sorry. And I'm sorry that I left you and I know that nothing I say or do will ever make up for that, but I hope that you'll give me another chance."

Tessie smiled and said, "Why do you think I'm here? I've missed you, too, Dad. More than you can imagine. I've been looking for you for years."

Archie went to hug her but hesitated, again unsure of what he should do. Tessie took pity on him and hugged him. She wrapped her arms around his waist and Archie placed his arms around her shoulders, apparently more confident by Tessie's actions. "So…will you allow me back into your life, Tessie?"

Tessie leaned back from the embrace that she had missed without even knowing it and said, "Of course I will. Actually, I'm planning on staying in Storybrooke, so we're going to be seeing a lot of each other."

"You're staying? That's wonderful! We'll have to introduce you to everyone. Oh, and Mayor Mills will probably want to know that there is another new person in town."

Tessie decided to play dumb and pretend that she knew nothing about Emma or the Curse. She needed to protect Archie as much as possible and she had to make sure that Regina didn't know that she knew the truth. "Another new person?"

Archie nodded. "Mhmm. A young woman, probably not much older than you, actually, named Emma Swan arrived in Storybrooke a couple days ago. She's the Mayor's son's birth mother."

What was quite funny to Tessie was that she was actually older than Emma – she just didn't look it, because of that Leap Year thing. _Must be like that in Storybrooke, too_, Tessie thought, because her father couldn't be more than 43 or so and he was definitely in his late thirties when she was eight.

"Uh-huh. Mayor's son's birth mother, huh?" Tessie repeated. Archie nodded and said, "Yeah, her son's name is Henry. Wonderful boy, really brilliant, but he's very troubled. You'll meet him."

"I look forward to it."

Archie smiled and hugged her again. "I still can't believe it's really you! After all these years; and you're so beautiful. Just like your mother…yours is a different beauty from hers though. Still exceedingly beautiful; just in a different way." Tessie wasn't used to receiving such compliments, so she blushed a little. Archie chuckled and then a thought seemed to strike him.

"Where are you planning on staying, if I may ask?"

Tessie shrugged and said, "Well, I figured I'd just stay in the Bed and Breakfast I passed before, when I was looking for your office. Granny's, I think it was called."

Archie was shaking his head gently and Tessie said, "What?"

"You, my dear, are staying with me. I've missed out on 15 years; I'm not missing out on anymore. I knew that guest bedroom would come in handy one day."

"Are you sure, Dad? I don't wanna impose…"

"Nonsense! You're my daughter, Tessie. You belong with me," Archie replied, his eyes sparkling with happiness. _Oh, how can I resent him? I know why he did what he did, and part of me will always be hurt, but I can't resent him. He needs me and…and I need him_, Tessie thought.

"Oh, Tess; you like dogs, right?"

"Love 'em. Why do you ask?"

"Oh, because I've got one. A Dalmatian named Pongo."

"I _love_ Dalmatians. They're so beautiful," Tessie replied, causing her father to beam yet again. She wondered if he had ever smiled so much in his life.

"So, how about this; I go on ahead to my house and get the guest bedroom ready. You go grab your things…and I assume your car?"

"Yeah, I wasn't going to take a bus or hitchhike from Boston," Tessie said, earning a playful eye roll from her father.

"Okay, so you get your car and meet me at my house and then we'll see if we can't get you familiarized with the townspeople."

"Sounds good to me, Dad," Tessie replied. Archie nodded and they went their separate ways after Archie told Tessie the address of his – soon to be their – house. Tessie watched her father's retreating form go the opposite way that she was, smiling happily to herself. She truly did love her father and, taking a deep breath, finally decided to just let her resentment go. It happened; there was no getting around that and if she wanted a relationship with her dad, she needed to let go of that anger and hurt. It wouldn't be easy, Tessie knew, but she was going to try.

She went to her car and nodding her head in greeting to Gold, whom she saw in the window of his pawnshop. He acknowledged her with the same and Tessie got into her car and drove to Archie's house. She knocked on the door and Archie smiled widely when he opened it. And then she was glomped by a large Dalmatian.

"Ah, you must be Pongo," Tessie said, stumbling a little as Pongo's paws came in contact with her shoulders.

"Pongo, down!" Archie commanded sternly. Pongo did as he was told and sat by his owner. Archie stepped aside and let Tessie in, taking her suitcase from her, ignoring Tessie's protests of "I can take it, Dad".

Archie led her upstairs and showed her the guest bedroom, Pongo trailing along after them. Like the rest of the house, it had warm, earthy tones to it, mostly consisting of greens and yellows and browns. The bed was a good size, perfect for her. She turned to Archie and said, "I love it."

Archie let out a breath, clearly relieved and Tessie laughed good-naturedly at him. Archie put her suitcase down and Tessie moved it next to the dresser to take care of later. "Well," Archie said, "I'll let you get situated. Then, if you want, we can go around town…"

"Sure. I know what you're up to, Dad, by the way."

"What?" Archie replied, confused.

"You just wanna parade me around town, don't you?" She was only fooling around of course, which was evident by her smile. Archie blushed a little and stammered a reply, "No! W-Well, yes, but also to introduce you to the people I see almost every day."

"I was only kidding, Dad," Tessie said, winking at him. Archie chuckled and blushed again. "Come on, Pongo, let's leave Tessie alone," Archie said, patting his leg to get Pongo to follow him.

Pongo deliberately sat down, sending a clear message to all. He wasn't moving and he wasn't leaving Tessie. Archie rolled his eyes and said, "Well, it looks as though Pongo has taken a shine to you. I guess he'll be sticking with you for awhile."

"That's okay, Dad. Pongo is a good boy, aren't you, Pongo?" Pongo barked happily in reply. Tessie turned around and kneeled down in front of the spotted dog. She rubbed the top of his head and Pongo bestowed a wet kiss on her face. She wiped the saliva off her face and said, "Thank you, Pongo."

Archie laughed at the two of them and then left Tessie to get settled in. "You're a beautiful boy, Pongo. Such a handsome boy."

Pongo lifted one of his paws for Tessie to hold and she did. Pongo had this look in his eyes that made Tessie think that he knew more than he let on. He might have been a dog, but dogs are smarter than people give them credit for. Tessie thought maybe, just maybe, Pongo knew the truth. Tessie kissed the top of the Dalmatian's head and smiled at him.

Tessie glanced at her suitcase and decided it could wait until later. She went downstairs and found Archie sitting on the couch, looking at something. She looked at Pongo and placed a finger to her lips, telling the dog to be quiet. She tiptoed up behind Archie just as he called out, "Hey, Tessie! Are you ready?"

"Yeah!" she said loudly, making Archie jump. He turned around and said, "How long were you there?"

"Oh, only a couple of seconds," Tessie replied, walking over to sit on the couch with her father. "What are you looking at?"

"An old photo album I had hidden away," Archie replied, flipping past a photo of him and a woman she recognized as her mother. Even out of faerie form, she looked the same. Same blue eyes and slim face; same wavy blond hair; same cheerful smile. Archie stopped at a photo of him holding a small baby. The baby was asleep but there was no doubt that the baby was her. Photo-Archie had the biggest smile on his face, and even though the photo was something the Curse created, the emotion on her father's face was real. Archie touched the photo gently and said, "That was the day you were born. I was the happiest man on earth that day."

Tessie smiled at Archie and rested her head on his shoulder. They flipped through the photos for a while more, entertaining themselves. Before they knew it, darkness had fallen and Tessie knew that the meet and greet that her father had planned would have to wait until the next day.

"Ah, well," Tessie shrugged when Archie figured that out for himself. "They'll still be there in the morning."

"Yeah, you're right," Archie said, a little put out. "Well, I guess I'm gonna turn in."

"Yeah, so am I," Tessie agreed. She kissed Archie on the cheek and said, "Night, Dad."

That cheered him right up, which was the exact effect that she hoped it would have. "Night, sweetie. See you in the morning."

Pongo seemed torn between going with Tessie or Archie and looked imploringly at Archie. It was almost as if he was saying _Archie, would you mind if I stay with Tessie…?_

Archie smiled and patted Pongo's head. "Go ahead, boy. I know you love her more than me." Archie pretended to be mortally wounded and Pongo licked Archie's hand, showing that he still loved him and then the dog walked over to Tessie. She and Pongo walked upstairs and Tessie put away her stuff quickly. She had just finished changing into her pajamas when Archie poked his head in.

"All right, I'm going to bed, honey."

"Okay, Dad. Love you."

Archie smiled broadly and said, "I love you, too."

About five minutes later, Tessie was in bed, looking out the window. She could see the large clock tower which had been stuck on 8:15 since she arrived in Storybrooke that afternoon. Clearly, Regina had frozen time, which explained Archie's non-aging. However, as Tessie watched it, she saw something that gave her immense hope.

The clock's minute hand moved. The curse was starting to break.


	5. Chapter 4: Hook's Hook

**I DON'T OWN "ONCE UPON A TIME" OR ANY CHARACTERS PORTRAYED HERE. I DO NOT OWN THE CHARACTER OF TINKER BELL OR ANY OTHER YOU MAY RECOGNIZE FROM ANYWHERE ELSE. I SWEAR. I AM MERELY A FAN.**

_Fairy Tale World – Neverland_

"I don't believe it," Tinker Bell muttered to herself. She was smiling, but she was also in disbelief. The smile was for one reason and the disbelief was for another reason entirely. Prince Charming and Snow White were finally getting married. Fauna sent one of the faeries from The Enchanted Forest with the message that the two had finally ended up together and were finally getting married (this was the reason for the smile). Tink was happy, but also worried; The Evil Queen wouldn't let them, _couldn't_ let them have their happy ending.

Regina really needed to learn how to let go of a grudge. As long as she could remember, Regina had had something against Snow White. What, Tink didn't know, but it was something big.

However, she didn't have the time to worry about Snow White, or Prince Charming, or The Evil Queen. She was currently spying on Captain Hook. It had been about a month since Tink arrived in Neverland and Hook lost his hand, courtesy of Peter Pan. Honestly, she suspected that Hook would replace his hand, but she never imagined that he'd replace it with…and she should have expected it, given his name…a hook. It was so simple, but so dangerous. It seemed to be removable and it was very, _very_ sharp. If someone got on the wrong side of Hook, they'd find themselves missing their entrails. It wasn't a pretty mental picture that she painted, but it was probably the truth. This was the reason for her disbelief.

Over the last four weeks, Tink, Peter, and The Lost Boys had taken turns spying on Hook, seeing what the old codfish was up to. Now, they finally knew. Hook had become increasingly more hell bent on revenge, something for which Tink couldn't blame him. The blonde faerie shook her head and sped off into the jungle towards their hideout.

After tearing through many leaves and startling many small creatures, she finally made it to the entrance to the hideout. She sped through the hole that was only big enough for a faerie, crashed into the wall of the small tunnel, tumbled the rest of the way and promptly crashed into Peter, who caught her in the palm of his hand as she fell.

"Ouch! Tink, what's up? I've never seen you move so fast," Peter asked, rubbing the top of his head. Tink shook her own head and stood up in Peter's hand. She tried to tell him what she had seen, but she must have been speaking too fast because Peter was becoming more and more confused by the second.

"Wait, what? Hook has a book? No? A crook? No, that's not right, either…a rook? Wait, since when does Hook play Chess? Tink, slow down! I can't understand what you're saying!"

Tink took a deep breath and said slowly, "Hook has a hook. He replaced the hand that you cut off with a sharp, deadly hook. Do you understand now?"

Peter blinked and rubbed the back of his neck. "A hook? Hook…has a hook. Well, that's ironic. Okay, Tink, don't worry. He's still the same cowardly codfish that he's always been, except now he's a cowardly codfish with a hook as a hand."

"Are you kidding me? That's all you have to say? Peter, Hook could slit your throat or cut out your heart before you even realize what's happening! You have to be more careful."

"Tink, relax. He hasn't got me yet, and he certainly won't get me now. Remember, I've got something he hasn't. I have a faerie and I can fly. He can't. All you have to worry about is not getting caught by Hook."

"Peter, he doesn't need me. There are plenty more faeries in Neverland that he could use to the same ends."

"That's true, but he won't use them. He won't use them because they don't mean as much to me as you do."

Tink blushed a little and said, "Okay, alright, Peter. I'll be careful as long as you're careful. Don't go seeking him out unless it's absolutely necessary. He might be a coward, but he's dangerous."

"Okay, I promise Tink."

Tink had half a mind not to believe him, but he was her friend. So she decided to take his promise as a half truth. She would believe him, but she wouldn't have blind faith in the boy. Because that's what he was; a boy. And boys are always looking for adventure.


	6. Chapter 5: Henry Season 1, Episode 2

**I DON'T OWN "ONCE UPON A TIME" OR ANY CHARACTERS PORTRAYED HERE OR THE SCRIPT FROM THIS EPISODE OR ANY OTHER EPISODES THAT WILL BE USED IN THE FUTURE. I DO NOT OWN THE CHARACTER OF TINKER BELL OR ANY OTHER YOU MAY RECOGNIZE FROM ANYWHERE ELSE. I SWEAR. I AM MERELY A FAN.**

**AN: I'm going to try and get the dialogue from the episodes exactly right, but it won't be easy. So, please excuse me if I mess it up. **

_Storybrooke_

The next morning, Tessie and Archie took Pongo for a walk. They were walking past the clock tower, when Tessie noticed a woman with short black hair staring up at the machine with a disdainful look on her face. There was only one person that could be. Regina.

"That's Regina Mills, the Mayor," Archie told her. She nodded like she was just finding this out and Archie continued, "Come on, I'll introduce you."

Tessie was about to object but she knew that it was inevitable. Only problem was that Regina would know who she was; who she _really _was and she would know that because Tessie hadn't always been in Storybrooke that she was a threat, which she was. Besides, Archie was already dragging her over to Regina.

However, before Archie introduced her, he realized that the clock was working again. He stood beside Regina and said, "Hey, how about that? Guess those rusty old innards finally straightened themselves out, huh?"

Archie chuckled softly and Regina spun around like he had said something highly offensive. Tessie was willing and ready to defend her father but it wasn't necessary. She only looked at something behind Archie and said, "Yes, how about that, indeed?"

Tessie fought the urge to roll her eyes and won, but only just. Regina noticed Tessie and her eyes flashed in recognition, though she hid it well. _She knows_, Tessie thought. Of course she knew; she wasn't stupid. Arrogant, certainly, but not stupid.

"Who's this, Dr. Hopper?" Regina decided to play stupid. Of course, she would look insane if she blurted out "Tinker Bell", especially in front of a psychiatrist. _Now, that would be a sight to see_, Tessie thought.

"This is my daughter, Madame Mayor, Tessie Black."

Regina stretched out her hand and said, "It's nice to meet you. I didn't know you had a daughter, Dr. Hopper."

Tessie shook Regina's hand, taking care to look directly in her eyes. Tessie knew that her eyes were saying everything. _I know the truth; I know who I am; and more importantly, I know who you are…Your Highness._

"We…uh, we've been…" Archie stammered, unable to word his thought correctly. Tessie took pity on him and said, "We were estranged. Just reunited last night."

"Ah. Well, as Dr. Hopper said, I'm the Mayor. Regina Mills."

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Madame Mayor." Tessie put just enough emphasis on the words _Madame Mayor_ that Regina understood the hidden meaning but that it soared right over Archie's head.

"Well, I have to get to work, but it was a pleasure meeting you, Ms. Black. Dr. Hopper…have a nice day."

"Thank you. You as well," Archie replied, oblivious to Tessie's disgust at Regina's fake friendliness, however small it may be. She couldn't stand people who tried to be something they weren't.

Archie turned to Tessie and said, "And on that note, I have to get to work as well. Patients and appointments. I'm sorry we can't spend more time together."

"Dad, don't worry about it. You go; help people see right from wrong. I commend you for what you must have to put up with every day. I couldn't do it; I'd end up tearing my hair out. But seriously, don't worry. I have an entire town to explore and a whole town full of people to meet. I'll keep busy."

Archie laughed lightly and said, "It's not so bad. I like helping people. Anyway, have a good day, Tess. I'll see you later."

Tessie nodded and hugged Archie. He walked off towards his office with Pongo and Tessie looked around her surroundings. _Granny's Diner_. Well, a diner usually means coffee, and Tessie needed her coffee if she wanted to stay sane.

She walked into the small diner and up to the counter. A young woman with dark long hair with bright red streaks in it smiled and said, "Can I help you?"

Before Tessie could even get the first syllable out, the woman spoke again. "Hey, I haven't seen you around before. Are you new in town? We hardly ever get anyone new here. Always the same old people."

Tessie blinked and said, "Yeah, I am new in town. I'm Tessie Black."

"Cool name. I'm Ruby," she replied. _Ah, of course, Red Riding Hood. Shoulda guessed it_, Tessie thought. "Where are you from?" Ruby asked.

_The Enchanted Forest, just like you_. But of course, Tessie couldn't say that, so she said, "Boston."

"Oh, cool. I always wanted to live in Boston, but every time I try leaving something pops up and prevents me from going. It's like the universe hates me or something."

_Not the universe; the Evil Queen and she doesn't hate you. She's just bitter and needs to make everyone as miserable as her_. That was the thought running through Tessie's head. However, she just shrugged.

"I'm sorry, here I am complaining to you when we just met and I am supposed to be taking your order. What would you like?"

"Coffee, please, extra cream and sugar. Really sweet. And it's okay, really. Better that you tell someone then keep it all locked up."

Ruby smiled and said, "I like you, Tessie." She went off and made Tessie's coffee. A couple minutes later, a young boy walked into the diner and sat down at one of the booths. Ruby came back and handed Tessie her coffee. She took a sip and sighed happily. It was perfect.

Ruby glanced at the young boy and said, "Hey, Henry!"

Henry turned around and waved, "Hi, Ruby."

_Henry? This is the kid that Rumple- no, he goes by Gold. This is the kid that __**Gold**__ told me about._

Ruby went to take care of other customers and Tessie walked over to Henry's booth. "Mind if I join you?"

Henry looked up at her and his eyes went wide briefly. "Uh, no, go ahead."

Tessie sat down and placed her coffee cup on the table. "You're Henry, right?"

He nodded and said, "A-Are you…? You are…I mean; do you know who you are? Who you _really_ are?"

Tessie winked at him and whispered, "The Curse didn't get everybody fully, Henry." He smiled and said, "You do!" And then at a whisper, he said, "You're Tinker Bell. You're Jiminy Cricket's daughter."

Tessie nodded and said, "Yeah, but here I go by Tessie Black. And yes, I am Jiminy's daughter, although here I believe he goes by Archie Hopper."

"Wow. I never met someone who _actually_ remembers. Why _do_ you remember?" Henry asked. Tessie smiled and said, "I've never known myself but I think it's because I was in Neverland at the time. Neverland isn't a part of the Enchanted Forest, and The Curse was only meant for those in the Enchanted Forest. However, I was from the Enchanted Forest originally and it affected all residents of the Forest. Plus, I was, let's just say, surrounded by a lot of good magic at the time, and the Dark Curse simply wasn't…strong enough."

"Wow." Henry was prevented from saying anymore because Ruby came over.

"Um, I'm all set, Ruby, but if Emma comes in, can you give her a hot chocolate with cinnamon in it from me?"

"Sure, kiddo," Ruby replied, with a wink. She turned to Tessie and said, "So, what brings you to Storybrooke?"

Tessie simply said, "My dad."

"Oh? Who's your dad?"

"Archie Hopper."

"No! You're kidding? Archie's a father? Wow. Well, you learn something new every day." Ruby got over her shock quickly and again walked off. Henry and Tessie talked a little more about the Curse and the town and then a blonde woman about 27 or 28 years old came in with an apple and a newspaper.

She sat down at the counter and started reading. "That's Emma. She's my birth mother."

Tessie nodded and within a minute, Ruby went up to Emma and placed the hot chocolate in front of Emma. "Here you go."

Tessie tried to mind her own business but she couldn't help but hear what Emma was saying. "Thank you. But I did not order that."

Ruby smiled and said, "Yeah, I know. You have an admirer." Ruby, to her credit, didn't reveal that it was Henry who had sent the cocoa, not the man that Emma looked around at.

"That's Graham. He's the Sheriff," Henry informed her. Tessie looked carefully at Graham, trying to see if she recognized him, but she didn't. Tessie shrugged as Emma walked over to Graham, who said, "Ah, so you decided to stay."

_Clearly; she here, isn't she?_ Tessie thought. Emma must have thought the same thing because she said, "Observant. Important for a cop."

"It's good news for our tourist business, it's bad for our local signage." That must have been a joke, or an attempt at one, because Emma wasn't laughing. "It's…it's a joke."

Still no laughter. So, Graham decided to elaborate. "It's because you ran over our sign…"

"She did?" Tessie whispered. Henry nodded and Tessie "hmmed" thoughtfully.

Emma replied, still not amused by Graham. "Look, the cocoa was a nice gesture, and I am impressed that you guessed that I like cinnamon on my chocolate because most people don't, but I am not here to flirt." She set the cup of cocoa down on the table and Graham looked at it. Emma finished and said, "So thank you, but no thank you."

Graham looked from the cocoa to Emma and said, "I didn't send it."

Henry then decided to speak up. "I did." The boy got up from his seat and walked toward Emma. "I like cinnamon, too."

Emma looked at him impatiently and said, "Don't you have school?"

Tessie thought this was a silly question. He couldn't be much more than ten and he _was _wearing a school uniform. This she didn't like; she hated uniforms. Henry must have internally agreed with her because he said, "Duh. I'm ten. Walk me."

It wasn't a question, it was a demand and Emma obeyed instantly. As they walked by Tessie, Henry said, "Come on, Tessie, you, too. We need to talk."

Tessie grinned and drained the last of her coffee, left some money on the table and hurried after Henry and Emma. She had to admit, she was excited that Henry accepted her so easily. Emma, however, didn't.

"Whoa, wait, who are you?" Emma asked when Tessie finally caught up to them. Henry sighed and said, "This is Tessie Black, Archie's daughter. She's...a friend." Tessie smiled at the young boy.

"Your shrink? He has a daughter?" Emma asked, shocked. Tessie was starting to get annoyed; now both Ruby and Emma expressed surprise at Archie being her father.

"Yes; what is so shocking about that?"

Emma raised her eyebrows, taking in Tessie's defensive posture and shrugged. "Nothing, really. Just wasn't expected."

Tessie calmed herself down and said, "We were estranged."

"Oh," Emma simply said. She turned to Henry and said, "So, what's the deal with you and your mom?"

"It's not about us, it's about her curse. We have to break it. Luckily, I have a plan. Step one – identification. I call it Operation Cobra."

_Cobra, nice_, thought Tessie just as Emma said, "Cobra? That has nothing to do with fairy tales."

"Exactly," Tessie said. Henry nodded and Emma looked at her funny. Henry, however, smiled and said, "Exactly. It's a code name to throw the Queen off the trail."

Emma nodded and said, "So, everyone here is a fairy tale character. They just don't know it."

Tessie nodded and Henry said, "That's the curse. Time's been frozen – until you got here."

At the moment, Emma tried to take a bite of the apple she was holding and Henry said, alarmed, "Hey! Where'd you get that?"

"Your mom," Emma said.

"Don't eat that," Henry exclaimed, taking the apple from Emma and throwing over his shoulder, forcing Tessie to lean to the side to avoid being hit with the fruit. Emma looked confused and more than a little concerned and said, "Okay, uh…alright. What about their pasts?"

"They don't know. It's a haze to them. Ask anyone anything. And you'll see."

Emma turned to Tessie and was about to ask but Henry said, "Don't bother asking Tessie; she already remembers. The only one I've met that remembers that's actually a good person."

Emma huffed, impatient and said, "Okay, fine, so who are you?"

Henry shook his head and said, "You're not ready." Emma looked seriously miffed at this but said nothing about it and continued talking to Henry.

"So, for decades, people have been walking around, in a haze, not aging, with screwed up memories, stuck in a cursed town that kept them oblivious."

"Yep," Tessie said. Henry smiled and said, "I knew you'd get it."

Emma smiled and Tessie knew in that instant that Emma didn't truly believe; she was only humoring Henry. The boy continued, regardless, "That's why we need you. You're the only one who can stop her curse."

"Because I'm the daughter of Snow White and Prince Charming?" Emma asked.

"Yes." Henry replied as they stopped walking. "And right now, we have the advantage. My mom doesn't know that. I took out the end." Henry grabbed some pages from his backpack and handed them to Emma. "The part with you in it."

The pages showed Prince Charming holding a baby wrapped in a blanket that said "Emma" on them. "See?" Henry said. "Your mom is Snow White."

"Kid…" Emma said, somewhat amused by Henry.

The boy, however, interrupted her. "I know the hero never believes at first. If they did, it wouldn't be a very good story." They continued walking, and Henry said, "If you need proof, take them. Read them. But whatever you do, don't let her see these pages. They're dangerous. If she finds out who you are, then it would be bad."

They crossed the street and walked down to Henry's school. "I gotta go," Henry said. "But I'll find you later," he was speaking to both Tessie and Emma now, "and we can get started." He started walking backwards to his school and said, "I knew you'd believe me!"

Emma spread her hands and said, "I never said I did."

"Why else would you be here?" Henry called with a smile on his young face. And with that, he turned and ran to his school. A young woman turned around and looked at Emma and Tessie. She had very short black hair and was wearing a purplish patterned dress and a white sweater. _Snow White_, Tessie realized.

Snow walked over to Emma and Tessie, who hung back. She said, "It's good to see his smile back."

"I didn't do anything," Emma stated. Snow simply said, "You stayed."

Then she noticed Tessie. "Hello, I'm Mary Margaret Blanchard. I haven't seen you around before."

Tessie smiled and said, "No, well, I'm new in town. I'm Tessie Black. Nice to meet you."

"Nice to meet you, too, Tessie. What brought you to Storybrooke? We don't get many visitors. You and Emma must be the first in…well I can't remember since when."

Tessie smiled and said, "My dad. We were…estranged for a long time and we've just reunited."

"Oh, that's sweet. Who's your dad, if you don't mind me asking?"

"Not at all. My dad is Archie Hopper."

Mary Margaret's eyes lit up and she said, "Archie! Wow, I didn't know he was a father. That's nice; he's such a nice guy, I'm glad he has someone other than Pongo, even though that dog is a joy to be around."

Tessie liked Mary Margaret; she was the first that wasn't surprised that Archie was her father. Mary Margaret turned back to Emma and said, "So, does the Mayor know you're still here?"

"Oh, she knows," Emma said. "What is her deal? She's not a great people person. How did she get elected?"

Mary Margaret shook her head and said, "She's been mayor for as long as I can remember. No one's ever been brave enough to run against her. She inspires quite a bit of, well, fear. I'm afraid I only made that worse by giving Henry that book. Now he thinks she's the Evil Queen."

Emma looked thoughtful and said, "Who does he think you are?"

Mary Margaret laughed a little and said, "Oh, its silly."

Emma smiled and said, "I just got five minutes of silly. Lay it on me."

"Snow White," Mary Margaret said. Emma's curious look faded into a shocked one. _Yep, that's your mum, Emma. _"Who does he think you are?"

Emma, still shocked, shook her head and said, "I'm not in the book. Can I ask you a favor? Regina mentioned the kid's in therapy. Do you know where I can find the doctor?"

Mary Margaret thought for a minute and said, "You know, I can't remember the address."

"I know it," Tessie said. "I can take you there."

Tessie and Emma walked into Archie's building and Tessie gestured to her father's door. "I'll wait here."

Emma nodded and said, "So, seriously. Who does Henry think you are?"

"Like he said, you're not ready."

"Oh come on, ready for what?"

Tessie shrugged and said, "The truth." Emma rolled her eyes and said, "Fine."

She turned as Tessie sat down on a chair outside the office and Emma knocked on Archie's door. She opened it and leaned it. "Hey…"

"Emma Swan. I was just reading about you." Emma closed the door behind her and Tessie jumped up and listened at the door. Okay, she was a little too curious sometimes, but hey, curiosity killed the cat, not the faerie, right?

"Let me guess – you're here for a little help with post traumatic stress?" Archie said, although his voice was a little muffled. "That diagnosis was free, by the way."

_Did Archie just make a joke? _Tessie asked herself. She shook her head and kept listening. Emma laughed and said, "No, I'm here about Henry."

_He's a therapist, Emma. He isn't going to just give you the information like that…Doctor-patient confidentiality and stuff_, Tessie thought.

"I'm sorry," Archie said, actually sounding it. "I-I really shouldn't…"

"I know, I'm sorry. Just tell me something. This fairy tale obsession – what is causing it? I mean, he thinks everyone is a character in his book. That's…crazy."

Archie replied, "I-I hope you don't talk that way in front of him. The word crazy is, um, quite damaging. These stories…they're his language. He has no idea how to express complex emotion, so he's translating as best he can. This is how he communicates, when he's using this book to help deal with his problems."

_That would have been nicely put, if it were true, Archie_, Tessie thought. Emma persisted and said, "But he got the book a month ago. Has he been seeing you longer than that?" She sounded _exactly_ like a concerned parent or friend would. She was good…

"Um, yes, he has," Archie said, a little reluctant.

"So it's Regina, isn't it?" Emma accused. Tessie smiled: Archie walked right into that one.

"Uh, his mother is, uh, a very complicated woman. And, uh, over the years, her attempts to try and bring Henry closer only backfired. Why don't you take a look at the file? Um, see what I mean."

_Oh, she __**is **__good,_ Tessie thought, blinking in surprise as the sound of a cabinet being opened and closed was heard.

"Why are you doing this?" Emma asked.

"Well, he talks about you a lot. And you're very important to him."

"Thank you."

"Just, uh, see that I get it back." Tessie heard footsteps approaching the door and jumped away from the door. Archie opened it but didn't see her. Emma started to walk out with the file but Archie called her back. "And Ms. Swan. Just for the sake of the boy, be careful how you handle his belief system. Destroying his imagination would be…be devastating."

Emma nodded and left the office. "I'm going to stay here," Tessie said. "Dad gave that file to you way to easily. Something's up."

"Okay. I'm going to start reading up on Henry."

Tessie nodded and went back to the door, listening in. Archie must have called someone on the phone because he was speaking. "You were right. She was just here."

Tessie scrambled to pick up one of the other phones in the office but did it silently. She brought the phone to her ear and listened. All was silent and then – "Did she take the file?"

Regina. No. Absolutely not; she couldn't have Archie. She had everyone else in this town wrapped around her finger, but she couldn't have Archie.

"Yes," Archie replied. "H-how did you know she was gonna come here?"

"Because I'm the one who gave her the idea," Regina replied, sounding smug and satisfied. Tessie wanted nothing more than to smack her. They both hung up and Tessie put the phone down. She couldn't believe it. Archie, her father, _Jiminy Cricket_ was getting his strings pulled like a puppet by Regina. He was supposed to be the voice of everyone's conscience! How could he advise people on what was right and what was wrong when he couldn't even govern his own conscience? Tessie shook her head and walked into Archie's office.

"Tessie! T-this is certainly a surprise! I thought you were exploring the town…"

"I was. I met Henry and Emma. In fact, I was just with Emma. I heard your little conversation."

"You were eavesdropping? That's wrong, Tess. Very wrong."

"Oh, save it," Tessie snapped. Archie looked a little hurt and Tessie continued, "You don't have the right to tell me what's wrong and what's right. I have my own conscience. Besides, how can you know what's right and wrong when you're letting yourself get pushed around by Regina?"

"I-I have to do what she tells me to! She's the Mayor!"

"So what? You're an adult, Dad. You can make decisions all by yourself. You don't need Miss I-Like-To-Butt-Into-Things to make them for you!"

"I know that!" Archie snapped, losing his patience. "I know I'm an adult. And as such, and as your father, I don't have to take a verbal thrashing from you! I don't deserve it!"

"What you don't deserve, is Henry's trust! Especially when you rat out the woman who's trying to help Henry to his mother!" Tessie turned and walked toward the door. "I hope you're happy about what you've done, Dad."

Tessie walked out and shut the door behind her. She started walking down the street, looking for Emma, but three hours later, she still hadn't found her. Just then, Henry came running up to her with Mary Margaret trailing close behind.

"Emma's been arrested," Henry told her. Tessie growled and Henry said, "My mom said it's because she stole files from Dr. Hopper's office."

"It's not true; Archie gave those files to Emma."

"Yeah, I know. If my mother thought I was going to buy that, she has another thing coming. Come on, we have to bail her out."

"Okay…" Henry had already started running in the opposite direction and Mary Margaret and Tessie followed. They ran to the police department and Henry said, "Hey!"

It looked like Graham had been taking Emma's mug shot. The sheriff said, "Henry! Henry, what are you doing here?"

Mary Margaret told him, "His mother told him what happened."

Emma sighed and said, "Of course she did. Henry, I don't know what she said-"

Henry interrupted and said, "You're a genius."

"What?" Emma and Tessie said at the same time.

"I know what you were up to. You were gathering intel for Operation Cobra," Henry explained. Graham blinked in confusion and said, "I'm sorry. I'm a bit lost."

Henry turned to him and said, "Its need to know, Sheriff. And all you need to know is that Ms. Blanchard is going to bail her out."

"You are? Why?" Emma asked.

"I, uh, trust you."

Henry smiled at Emma and she said, "Well, if you can uncuff me…" Emma held her handcuffed hands out at Graham and said, "I have something to do."

Graham uncuffed her and Emma rushed off. He blinked and turned to Tessie. "Who are you?"

"Tessie Black. Nice to meet you. Graham, right?"

"Yeah…" Graham shook Tessie's outstretched hand but didn't have time to say anything else as Henry said, "Come on," and dragged Mary Margaret and Tessie out of the station.

Later on, Tessie saw Emma walking down the street. She stopped and looked at the yellow VW Beetle across the street that had a parking boot on it. Tessie stood by the car as Emma walked over and pulled out her phone.

"Yeah?" Emma answered her phone. A few seconds passed and Emma said, "You have no idea."

Emma opened her car door and threw her jacket into the car and then slammed the door. She hung up the phone and as she started walking away, she said, "Regina," to Tessie. Tessie nodded and rolled her eyes. _A parking boot, really?_ _Glad she hasn't tried my car yet. I swear if Regina puts a boot on my baby, her head is gonna roll_.

Tessie walked to Archie's office and went inside. Archie was pacing just inside his office and kept glancing at the clock.

"Uh, you alright there, Dad?" Tessie asked, only to be hugged by a frantic Archie.

"Tessie! I was getting worried! I didn't know if you got caught up in Emma getting arrested. I would have gone down to the station to make sure but I had appointments."

"Dad, relax, I wasn't arrested. I'm fine."

"Are you still angry with me?" Archie seemed genuinely afraid that Tessie was still angry with him, but she wasn't. Regina was a conniving little witch and Archie simply didn't want to get on her bad side.

"No. I don't like what you did, but I'm not angry."

"Oh, good," Archie breathed, sounding immensely relieved. "Listen, I have an appointment with Henry at 6:00. Why don't we catch up on things?"

They sat down and Tessie told him how she had left the home where she was staying when she was 15, which was completely true, although she didn't mention any names.

"You mean, your aunts'? Rose, Jade, and Skye?"

"Yeah, I got emancipated and went off on my own." _Rose, Jade, and Skye…must be the Storybrooke equivalents of Flora, Fauna, and Merryweather. Interesting. _

"That explains it."

"What?"

"Well, when I learned that your aunts were living here in Storybrooke, I went to see them to see if you were with them. They told me that they hadn't seen you in a year or so. Now I know why."

"Oh, they're here? I'll have to go and say hi soon."

Archie nodded and Tessie continued telling her story. How she bounced around for the next 8 years, all the while looking for him. Finally, she went online and looked for Archie on one of those "find your parents" websites.

"So that's how you found me. I was wondering. Not a lot of people know about Storybrooke."

Just then, Henry poked his head in. Well, that meant that it was time for Tessie to go. She got up and was about to say goodbye to Henry, when she saw that the poor kid looked miserable.

"Henry? What's wrong?" Tessie asked, crouching down to his level. She could see hurt and betrayal in his eyes. He whispered, "You don't think I'm crazy, do you?"

Tessie was shocked. "Of course I don't think you're crazy. Henry, you're probably the sanest person in this town."

Archie was about to interrupt, but Tessie held up a hand to stop him. Henry continued, "Can you stay with me? During my session? I need someone who actually believes me…"

"Oh, I don't know, Henry. These are supposed to be private sessions."

Henry's eyes locked with hers and he said, "Please..."

Poor Henry looked like he was about to cry so she turned to Archie and he said, "Uh, if Henry wants you to stay, then…I guess its okay. You just can't reveal anything that's said during the session."

"Sure. I swear; may I be struck down by lightning if I reveal anything that was said during this session."

Archie nodded and asked, "How do you two know each other, exactly?"

"We met at Granny's today. He was there before school." Henry and Tessie sat on the couch together. If Henry wanted Tessie to be around him when he was the most vulnerable, then she would stay, even if it killed her. This boy needed her. He needed someone who actually believed him, and she was that person.

"Oh," Archie turned to Henry and said, "So, Henry, what's on your mind? Something's bothering you."

"I don't wanna talk about it." Henry started playing with Archie's umbrella, something that didn't faze Archie at all. Tessie wondered if he did this a lot during his sessions.

"Okay, so how was school?" Archie tried a different tack. Henry shrugged and said, "It was fine, except for my mother getting arrested." He looked up to glare at Archie briefly and Tessie had to suppress a giggle. The moment was just too perfect.

Archie, on his part had the good grace to look ashamed. "Yeah, about that…um…are you sure you don't wanna talk about it? You know, that umbrella kind of is my good luck charm. Is that why you think I'm Jiminy Cricket?"

Henry put the umbrella aside and said, "I don't think you're anyone."

_Wow,_ Tessie thought, _Henry must really be depressed if he isn't even trying to convince Archie right now. I wonder what happened…maybe something with Emma. I __**knew **__it was suspicious that Regina wanted to see Emma. Nothing good could have come of that._

Right then, Emma burst into the room, holding the story book pages that Henry gave her. Archie hopped up and said, "Miss Swan! Look, I can explain. The Mayor forced me to-"

Emma cut him off and said, "I know. Don't worry about it. I get it." She turned to Henry, "Henry, I'm sorry."

Henry had his head on Tessie's shoulder, something at which Tessie raised an eyebrow. He said, his voice very monotone, "I don't wanna talk to you."

"Miss Swan, if she knew you were here…" Archie spoke up; not at all sounding like his heart was in the warning. He must be sick of Regina, too.

Emma and Tessie looked at him at the same time and said in unison, "To hell with her." The two women looked at each other in surprise and Archie looked like he had no argument. Emma turned back to Henry and said, "Henry, there is one simple reason I stayed here. You. I wanted to get to know you."

Henry didn't look at Emma but he was sitting up now. Tessie stood up from the couch and went over to her father. He smiled at her and put his arm around her shoulders. He said, "You think I'm crazy."

"No, I think the curse is crazy. And it is. But, that doesn't mean that it isn't true."

Henry looked at Emma through the corner of her eyes and she continued, "It is **a lot** to ask anyone to believe in, but there are crazy things in this world. So what do I know? Maybe it is true."

"But you told my mom-" Henry started.

"-What she needed to hear. What I do know, is that if the curse is real, the only way to break it is by tricking the Evil Queen into thinking that we are non-believers. Cause that way, she's not on to us. Isn't that what Operation Cobra was all about? Throwing her off the trail?" Henry was now looking at her fully and Archie was smiling a little. It seemed that he was proud of Emma for the way she handled things with Henry.

Henry smiled and said, "Brilliant!"

Emma gestured with the story book pages and, Henry, you are right. They are dangerous. There is only one way to make sure that she never sees them." Emma went over to the fireplace and threw the pages into the fire. They started to burn and shrivel immediately. No one outside of this room would ever see them again.

"Now we have the advantage," Emma said and Henry got up and hugged Emma. Emma held her son and he said, "I knew you were here to help me."

Tessie leaned her head on her father's shoulder, feeling lucky that she was here to witness this cute family moment.

"That's right, kid, I am." Emma and Henry separated and she said, "And nothing, not even a curse, is going to stop that."

Emma and Henry left soon after and Tessie turned to Archie. Her father smiled and said, "Do you see what I mean about Henry?"

"That he's brilliant? Yes. He is brilliant," Tessie replied.

"No, not that. I mean, yes, he is. But he's really troubled. He's so convinced that this Curse is real that telling him you believe in it is the only way to get through to him."

"And what if, just, what if the Curse is real?" Tessie asked him.

"It can't be. Don't tell me you believe him!"

"Yes, I do. You may think I'm crazy, and that's fine. I don't care. But I'm not. It's real. And just for the record, why can't it be real? Because you don't want it to be? Or because you don't wanna face the fact that there are things in this world that you can't explain?"

Archie blinked and Tessie said, "And yes, I did just analyze you."

Archie, it seemed, had no answer but this whisper: "It can't be real, Tess. It just…can't."

Tessie gave him a look that said, _You sure about that?_


	7. AUTHOR'S NOTE, IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT!

**AUTHOR'S NOTE!**

**Okay, guys, so here's the deal. I'm not going to be writing anything else for this story.**

**Now, before I hear any boos or complaints, I want to tell you all that….**

**I'M THROWING THE STORY UP FOR GRABS!**

**That's right; if you want it you can have it.**

**However, you have to ****MESSAGE ME ****and you will have to answer three questions based on three things I love.**

**Don't worry they shouldn't be too hard. So, the FIRST person to MESSAGE me the correct answers to the questions, will get the story.**

**So, here are the questions:**

**1. Who is the only actor (that I know of) who has played ALL of the following characters in his career – Sid Vicious, Dracula, Lee Harvey Oswald, Ludwig Van Beethoven, and Joe Orton?**

* * *

**2. Only one companion has traveled with the Doctor long enough to see two of his incarnations. Who is the companion, which two incarnations were they, and who played the incarnations of The Doctor?**

* * *

**3. And lastly, name the three actors and one actress who played the four main characters in the 1939 movie 'The Wizard of Oz'. (If you don't know, I'll give you a hint – the four characters are Dorothy, Scarecrow, The Cowardly Lion, and Tin Man)**

**GOOD LUCK TO ALL WHO ANSWER. I don't think they are that hard, but maybe that's just me. So MESSAGE me your answers and the first person to get them ALL right will be given the story.**

**Thanks, and have fun with this**

**Nathan Lane-Beatles Luvr**


	8. AUTHOR'S NOTE 2, THIS IS IMPORTANT, TOO!

**Okay, everyone who is reading this story and/or has not given up on it yet, i have some news to share with you.**

**Remember how I said I would be giving the story to someone?**

**well, that someone is...*drum roll*...nochance!**

**nochance has been reviewing this story and I asked them if they wanted the story, since I realized the questions thing was a little ridiculous. Anyway, nochance has agreed to take the story and will be writing the chapters from now on.**

**I don't know when the next chapter will be, as nochance has informed me that they are kinda busy right now. **

**And for anyone who wanted to know the answers to the questions from the last Author's Note, but were too lazy to look them up themselves, the answers are:**

**Question 1: The actor is none other than the wonderful and amazing GARY OLDMAN!**

**Question 2: The companion was Rose Tyler. She is the only one (in the new series at least) to see and travel with two of the Doctor's incarnations. The incarnations were Nine and Ten. They were played respectively by the wonderful and incredible Christopher Eccleston and David Tennant**

**Question 3: This one I loved a lot because I wasn't sure if anyone would be able to get it. Dorothy was played by Judy Garland, The Scarecrow was played by the very talented Ray Bolger, the Cowardly Lion was played by the (in my opinion) hilarious Bert Lahr, and The Tin Man was played by Jack Haley.**

**SO! Keep an eye out for nochance's first chapter!**

**- Nathan Lane-Beatles Luvr**


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